4 Dangerous Properties of Sugar We Had No Idea About

Those who don’t know that sugar has negative effects on our teeth and waist probably live on a deserted island. However, this isn’t the only impact, or even the worst one, that sugar has on our bodies. Bright Side gives you 4 more reasons to say “no” to that cake.

1. Sugar accelerates skin aging

When it gets into the bloodstream, sugar links chemically with such proteins as collagen and elastin which ensure the youth of the skin. First of all, such an interaction destroys the proteins (destruction of collagen and elastin leads to dryness and wrinkles on the skin). Secondly, it produces new and harmful substances. For example, they make the skin more susceptible to the sun, which is a primary aging factor.

2. Sugar promotes inflammation

The ability of sugar to aggravate inflammation means it promotes the appearance of pimples and wrinkles on your skin. It also increases the risk of many diseases, such as arthritis. Even when we drink sweetened tea to treat a cold, sugar becomes a breeding ground for bacteria in an already inflamed throat. So it turns out that traditional methods are not just useless but even harmful.

3. Sugar causes cardiovascular diseases

Throughout the 20th century, doctors thought that cardiovascular diseases could be prevented by decreasing consumption of fats that raise cholesterol levels. Sugar was considered less dangerous than animal fats, and people went on fat-free diets but didn’t cut out sweets. In the 21st century, the situation changed dramatically. Recent studies show that sugar significantly increases cholesterol levels, all the while facilitating its sticking to the blood vessel walls that are already damaged by sugar.

Studies have shown that sugar may cause depression. It happens because sugar lowers the BDNF hormone level, which is inhibited in people with depression and schizophrenia. Other studies imply that too much sugar may increase anxiety (which we try to fight by eating something sweet — the irony is strong). And one experiment showed that rats grew much more stupid because of sugar. Scientists relate this to the property of sugar that damages the links between brain cells responsible for learning and memory.